Suspect in White Center woman’s shooting arrested

King County deputies have arrested the suspected gunman in a White Center shooting that left a 24-year-old woman dead early Tuesday morning.

The 25-year-old West Seattle man surrendered to deputies outside an area home shortly after 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, a Sheriff’s Office spokesman said. He has been booked into King County Jail on suspicion of murder; two other men he was with during the shooting remain at large.

The young woman — identified as Maria Failautusi by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, but as Sweetheart M. Failautusi by family and friends — was shot to death at 1 a.m. Tuesday near Southwest Roxbury Street and 15th Avenue Southwest.

On Wednesday afternoon, Sheriff’s Office SWAT officers along with detectives from the major crimes and gang units arrested the suspect at his home without incident.

“The citizens and business owners of White Center were upset to hear of this tragedy in their area,” said Maj. James Graddon, commander of the Sheriff’s Office precinct covering White Center. “They have been working hard with us for many years to improve public safety in their neighborhoods.

Failautusi’s slaying, Graddon continued in a statement issued Thursday, will “ultimately be resolved through the continued support of the community and the efforts of the deputies and detectives.”

The suspect was identified by deputies and detectives working in the White Center area, a Sheriff’s Office spokesman said in a statement. Tips generated through the release of the surveillance footage also contributed to the arrest.

About 40 minutes before Failautusi was killed, deputies were called to the area, located just south of the Seattle city limits, following a report of a fight there. Deputies spoke with several young women, including Failautusi, who said the disturbance was minor and that the other group had already left the area.

In an effort to prevent further violence, deputies remained in the area and began to patrol on foot to increase their visibility, Deputy Travis DeFries said in a statement. Just before 1 a.m., those deputies heard the sound of gunfire near the site of the original disturbance.

Deputies rushed to the scene and found the victim in the middle of 15th Avenue Southwest, the spokesman continued. Failautusi was shot at least once.

The suspects, shown in still images captured from a surveillance camera at a nearby business, were described as black men in their early to middle 20s. While the suspected shooter was in custody, the two other men remained at large.

Medical examiners have determined that Failautusi died from a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators with the Medical Examiner’s Office have ruled her death a homicide.

A week before the shooting, the suspect arrested Wednesday had been sentenced to 15 days on a county work crew after pleading guilty to drug possession. Previously convicted of felony theft, Seattle police arrested the man in August 2010 and found he had a vial of PCP.

Anyone with information can contact the King County Sheriff’s Office at 206-296-3311 or 911.